Oppa, That Must Be A Mistake - Chapter 9

“Why would you  give me this……?”

This can’t be a favor. There’s no way Kang Joo-won would do that to me.

“If you walk down the street like that, they would think you’ve been rattled somewhere.”

……Yes, that’s right.

Hye-joo didn’t know what to say in response to what felt like a goodwill that wasn’t a goodwill. She looked down at her blouse, which was splattered with red soup, and now that she thought about it, it really did look like blood.

“Thank you.”

She nodded.

Joo-won nodded once, chicly.

Hye-joo put on a knit over her blouse. Blue knit on a blue skirt. Something like a snicker escaped her lips as she instantly lost confidence in the outfit she’d never worn before.

“Looks like crayons.”

Chuckling, Joo-won turned around. Hye-joo clenched her fists as she watched him walk out the door.

“What’s the point of saying the same thing if you make it prettier? I’ll smear you with crayon.”

I thought about taking it off right then, but held it together.

At least I could cover up my messy blouse, so I was grateful to Kang Joo-won, for the first time.

*

“So, I’ve been running around Gangnam district in crayon fashion since the morning, and I thought I was going to die because my face was burning.”

“Kukkuk, the idea of crayon fashion is hilarious.”

“It’s no laughing matter, I really wanted to get off the ground.”

After work, Hye-Joo met with Da-Hee to discuss the day’s events. They met up at their weekly skewer restaurant and chatted for a while, and it was like old times were back.

“Where are those clothes now?”

“In my bag. Luckily, I have a change of clothes at work, so I changed right away. I’ll have to wash them and return them.”

“That’s a shame. It was my chance to see Oh Hye-Joo’s crayon fashion.”

“Forget it. Look away.”

Da-hee giggled and placed a skewer of fish cakes on her plate in front of her. Hye-Joo filled Da-Hee’s empty glass with soju.

“By the way, Mr. Kang, I’m surprised. I thought you wouldn’t like buddy programs, but you’re so active.”

“He’s a believer. He gave me a long speech about the purpose and necessity of the buddy program.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“Phew!”

The half-eaten fish cake stuck in Hye-Joo’s throat.

“Why does he talk like that?”

“Well, you’re out of character, you’re active in the buddy program, and You took him to a restaurant when you could have just taken a picture and left, and you took his clothes off.”

“Well, he’s new to the company, so he’s trying to fit in, and I took him to the restaurant because he needed to, If it were you, wouldn’t you take a boy you like to eat seonjitguk?”

“Well, yeah, but.”

Da-Hee nodded, then her eyes narrowed.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Was it nice to be buddied up with a guy you like, or not?”

“Not really.”

Hye-joo, who had forgotten that she’d dropped the bombshell about liking Joo-won in front of Da-hee, added hotly.

“I’ve changed my mind, so don’t get involved with Kang Joo-won anymore.”

“Why do you have to be so polite? Don’t you even want to talk about it?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to…….”

I know. what kind of feeling is this

Hye-joo rummaged through her fish cakes and was lost in her thoughts. Every time Joo-won’s name came up, she felt uncomfortable.

It feels like she’s been caught lying.

She probably lied to Da-hee that she liked Joo-won, so she seemed to be like that.

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just uncomfortable. I’m uncomfortable because I’m constantly creating black history in front of Mr. Kang.”

Da-hee nodded in agreement.

The two of them drank and talked about company business.

Although their teams were different, they knew each other’s teammates and the inner workings of the company since it wasn’t a very large company.

When Ruby, who originally won as Joo Won’s buddy, mentioned that she had an upset stomach, Da-hee giggled.

“She must have a pretty bad stomach. It’s a stomachache.”

“Sick?”

Hye-Joo asked, a little surprised. Da-hee blushed and made an excuse.

“No…… I’m just acting a little out of character. Didn’t you feel it?”

“Like what? I have no idea. I liked Ruby because she was very cheerful and positive, but what about me?”

“I don’t like the look in your eyes.”

“Why are your eyes looking at me?”

“You are confident like a person living alone in the world. She’s a complete princess. Because people around her praise her for being pretty, she knows she is a real princess.”

t was the first time that Da-hee had talked behind anyone, so Hye-joo was a little bewildered. And that partner is none other than Ruby, a colleague at the business department who is friendly with Hye-joo.

She couldn’t just react blindly, and Da-hee would feel sad if she argued bluntly, so Hye-joo tried to change her rough words. It was then.

Slowly,

the wooden door of the skewer restaurant opened and Seung-won appeared

“uh?”

Dahee looked a little surprised as if it hadn’t been promised beforehand. It was the same with Hye-joo.

“What’s Seung-won Kang doing here?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t tell him I was coming here today.”

Even more surprising was the identity of the person behind him.

“What, is this a work party?”

It was Kang Joo-won, shaking off the rain that had begun to sprinkle lightly.

*

8pm.

The office was deserted, with most employees having left for the day. Sitting alone in the conference room, Joo-won is staring at his computer.

His face is serious, as if he’s reviewing a million-dollar contract, but he’s actually light as a feather. He’s looking at the buddy photo he took with Hye-Joo that morning.

“Your eyes are really closed.”

It was a buddy mission report from Joo-Won in the afternoon. The final report had been sent to him through HR, and he was checking it before he left for the day.

Joo-won set his jaw and stared at the watermarked screen.

“What an ugly thing.”

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He said it was ugly, but his expression was cozy, like he was looking at a very cute little sister.

Thinking about Hye-joo made him feel at ease. Funny, ridiculous, and cute as a teaspoon.

Even when I was giving her away like a dumpster fire ten years ago, she was still a quirky kid. Whenever she give him a gift with a face like a burnt sweet potato, he always puts it down. When she see him again after a decade, she confess to him.

-It’s true that I liked you, but I’m over it.?

And when I say I’ve moved on, I mean I’ve moved on, cleanly and completely.

I didn’t know which way to dance. If she’d asked me to go out with him, I’d have said no for sure, but the way she’s acting now, it’s beyond common sense. It’s a little too meek for someone you like.

Even if it’s a hundred times over and you’re coming to terms with it. It’s not like a confessor is going to cut off a lizard’s tail without any excitement. I felt like I’d been hit in the head with a hammer.

The problem was my heart. A girl who care about me gave up on me, so why should I feel bad? I should be grateful that she moved away on her own, but I don’t know why it bothered me so much.

‘Is it because I feel sorry for her……?’

Joo-won, who was looking at the screen with a complicated mind, turned off the computer and got up. Thinking about it for a long time, he realized that he should get drunk and turn off the office light.

Boom, boom, boom.

A head popped up from behind the inner partition.

“You aren’t off work yet?”

“Ah, bro.”

It was Seungwon who woke up scratching his head. He looked a little tired, like he’d had a long day.

“I’m heading home now. Are you done too?”

“Uh.”

The two stepped into the elevator together, casually. When they were younger, they used to joke around a lot, but after they grew out their hair, there was no conversation between them, as brothers often do. As they stared wordlessly at the changing numbers on the billboard, Joo-won spoke up.

“Do you want to go out for a drink?”

“In your house?”

“I haven’t even gotten my first paycheck yet, and you’re already thinking of something to do.”

“If you don’t like it, leave. I bought a bunch of game items last month and I’m broke as fuck.”

“Thief.”

Joo-won smirked and turned off the elevator button to the underground parking lot. Pressing the button for the first floor again, he jerked his head toward Seung-won.

“Let’s go.”

They arrived at a skewer restaurant. They were both a little surprised, as they hadn’t expected Hye-Joo and Dahi-Hee to be here.

“Come over here. You can sit here, too.”

Da-hee was the first to realize, and she graciously offered her seat. When she started to move with her plate, Seung-Won stopped her.

“Just sit down, we’ll take care of it.”

“……Okay?”

The skewer shop was a small, dacha-like establishment with seating in a circle around a large pot of fish cakes.

Da-hee and Hye-joo were sitting in the rounded corner, with a customer on Da-hee’s left and an empty seat on Hye-joo’s right.

The two newcomers naturally sat on Hye-Joo’s right.

“What are you guys eating?”

“We’re having grilled salt and skewered heart!”

“Then I’ll make it galbi-flavored, boss, here’s my order!”

While Seung-won was ordering, Joo-won crossed his arms and stared at the menu. No, actually, he was looking at Hye-joo out of the corner of his eye. All he could see her was her dark brown hair and beige coat.

‘Oh, Hye-Joo, you’ve changed.’

She was wearing a beige overcoat instead of the blue knit he’d handed her in the morning. Joo-won gave her a blank look.

“Seung-won, how did you come with the CEO, did you know I was here, and do I have to show him respect?”

Her boyfriend came over and excitedly chatted with her.

“Make yourself at home. I’m just here to have a drink with my brother.”

Joo-won bluntly replied.

The four awkward people started drinking. Da-hee was the one leading the conversation, and Seung-won was the one arguing.

Hye-Joo was somehow speechless. It bothered Joo-won that she was suddenly silent, as the tension had been high until he walked in.

Little did Joo-won know that she was conscious of Seung-won sitting right next to her, and was seriously considering whether she should switch seats with Da-hee.

“Since we’re all here, let’s at least make a toast. You’re the president, of course, but you’re also my boyfriend’s older brother. By the way, did you know that me and Seung-won are dating?”

He didn’t sense any malice in the way Da-Hee rolled her eyes, but in that moment, Joo-Won could see that Hye-Joo’s expression darkened subtly.

……Why?

“I know it’s not a dinner party, but since you’re a senior, would you like to make a toast?”

Da-hee smiled and filled her glass.

“Sure, sure.”

Joo-won reluctantly raised his glass.

Boom!

Flames erupted from the kitchen, directly in view of Dazzi. The four of them screamed at the same time as red-hot flames leapt from the grill where the skewers were being grilled.

“Get out!”

At that moment, Seung-won wrapped his arms around Hye-joo, who was right next to him.